Umbrella



Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and has Aas an object the :provision of umbrell-as having removable covers whereby the covers may readily be replaced,if damaged, or if covers having diiierent designs or colors are idesired.

Umbrellas of the type now commonly used 'are provided with covers that are permanently secured to the umbrella frame so that upon damage to the cover, the umbrella. is either rendered useless or requires a skilled workman to repair it. Such covers are usually retained on the frame by peripherally loc-ated tip members that are secured to the outer ends of the ribs of the umbrella and by means of a ferrule engaging the center of the cover which is permanently secured to the umbrella stick. Additionally, the -covers may be secured at one or more places along each of the ribs by stitching or tacking.

Thus to replace the covering of this type of um brella, it is necessary to detach a number of permanently secured parts before the cover can be removed and to replace the parts permanently after the new cover is placed upon the frame.

' The present invention provides an umbrella construction in which the edges of the cover are readily releasable from the ribs and the ferrule on lthe umbrella stick is detachably connected thereto so that these elements may be readily released and the cover removed therefrom and a new cover easily substituted. Preferably, the ferrule is connected .to the stick .fby means of a latch cr lock which may be quickly released to allow removal and replacement of the cover.

" likewise, the rib tips may be friction'ally or otherwise detachably secured to the ribs' so that they can be disengaged from the ribs to free the edge of the cover from the frame, or the rib .tips may be permanently secured and means provided for detachably connecting the cover to these tips.

Umbrellas embodying the present invention have m-any advantages not present in prior types of umbrellas. For example, they may be supplied as a kit consisting of an umbrella frame and a plurality of differently designed and colored covers, thereby allowing the color scheme oi the umbrella to be changed to complement rather than clash With the ensemble of the user. They likewise admit of inexpensive replacement of the cover, inasmuch as the replacement cover can be supplied at materially less cost than the entire cost of the umbrella. Such covers m-ay be made from a variety of materials, such as for example, silk or cotton fabrics, synthetic rubber or cellulosic i'llms, such as Pliofilm or Cello- (Cl. 13S-34) phane, thus fullling all requirements as to oost,

appearance and durability.` Likewise, the replaceable covers lend themselves to a variety of striking effects, such as the use of rib tips of a design matching or carrying out the design on the cover itself. By way of example, a covering having a design of tropical sh might well be provided with rib tips shaped like tropical sh or sea horses and colored appropriately to complemen-t the cover. ferent designs and having complementary rib tips may likewise be supplied thus permitting wide variation in the appearance of the umbrella.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View of an umbrella rib and an associated rib tip;

Figure 3 is an enlarged View of the ferrule and a portion of the umbrella stick disclosed in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse section-al view of a form of -ferrule embodying the invention and umbrella stick; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified form of device for deta-chably connecting the periphery of the umbrella cover to the ribs.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, consists lof a. conventional umbrella `frame including a stick III which may be made of metal, wood, or synthetic plastic material, as may be desired, upon which are pivotally mounted a plurality of cover spreading ribs II. The ribs may be erected or spread by the usual spreader ribs and sliding ierrule which are not shown since they are conventional and do not constitute a part of the invention. A detachable cover I2 is supported on the stick and the ribs by means of the detachable ferrule -I3 and the detachable rib tips I4, the cover I2 being otherwise unsecured to the frame.

As shown in Figure 2, the rib tips I4 may be attached to the cover I2 `by thread I5 or any other suitable means and are frictionally received on the ends IB of the ribs II. The tips I4 are so located on the cover I2 as to require the cover to be stretched slightly in order to allow the tips I4 to be attached to or detached from the ribs, thereby preventing inadvertent detachment of the cover. The inner ends of the tips I'4 may be slightly beveled as at II to facilitate insertion of the rib ends I6 into the bores I8 of the tips.

Other covers bearing diff As shown in Figures i, 3 and 4, the detachable ferrule consists of a generally cup-shaped member 33 having ya :peripheral groove 3| therein in which is disposed a bent spring 32 encircling the ferrule. The ferrule 39 lis provided with an aperture 33 into Which one end 34 of the spring 32 is bent to prevent its rotation and which slidably receives the other end 35 of the spring. The bent end 35 is of suicient length to extend through the ferrule 30 and into an annul-ar recess 36 encircling the stick 31 to lock them together, and is normally urged -outW-ardly by an uncurved portion 38 of the spring `32. The end 35 of the spring 32 may be forced in the recess 36 by means of a split ring or sleeve 39, which is rotatably mounted on the ferrule 30 or released by rotating the sleeve to the positionV s hovvn in Figure 4.

Many different means for detachably connecting the cover to the ribs may be used. As shown in Figure 5, the rib tips 50v may be permanently or semi-permanently attached to the ends of the ribs I, for example, by means of screw threads or adhesive, and the cover detachably connected to the rib tips. In this form of device the cover 52 may have a series of small grommets or eyelets 53 in its edge which may be passed over .the ends of the tips 50 and brought into engagement With shoulders or anges 54 on the tips 50 which prevent the cover from sliding upwardly along the ribs.

The ferrule I3 and the devices for attaching the edge of the cover to the ribs may be used in any desired combination to permit replacement of the covers. To remove the cover, the umbrella should be closed and the edge of the cover detached r-st from the ribs. The ferrule may considered as illustrative, only, and not as limiting the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for detachably securing a cover to anumbrella stick comprising a ferrule having an aperture therein, a spring ring on said ferrule having an inturned portion disposed in said aperture, a member rotatably mounted on said ferrule and engageable with :a portion of said spring ring to force said end through said :aperture and means forming a recess in said stick for receiving a portion of said end and locking the ferrule to said stick. f

2. A -device for releasably retaining a cover on an umbrella stick and frame comprising a ferrule receivable on the end of the stick and having an aperture in a side wall, a spring member mounted on said f-errule and having an inturned end portion disposed in `an aperture in said fer rule, a member mounted on said ferrule and rotatable to force said end portion through said aperture, and means forming a recess in said stick for receiving said end portion to latch the ferrule to said stick.

HERMAN H. FELLER. 

